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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612154">Sketches (A ChatNoirXReader Fanfiction)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessofPerfectionism/pseuds/PrincessofPerfectionism'>PrincessofPerfectionism</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Denial, Exchange Student, F/M, Flirting, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Love, Reader-Insert, Teasing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:48:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,393</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessofPerfectionism/pseuds/PrincessofPerfectionism</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you took the risk of moving out of your old family home in order to study in Paris, you knew that you'd have to look after yourself from then on. Navigating through a new city, school and friendships, you realise that life wasn't going to be as simple as a fairytale. To make matters even more confusing, a certain cat boy lingers around you, making for some flirty, and embarrassing moments.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Reader, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. New City, Old Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, first of all, right off the bat, I want to say that I'm trying my best with this. As with everyone (unless some other animals aside from Homo sapiens have figured out the internet), I'm a human being and, naturally, make mistakes. I genuinely appreciate constructive criticism because how else is someone supposed to improve? But please take into account the effort I’m putting towards this and I do apologise for any mistakes big or small. Just know that it would be great for you to point it out so I can rectify it and/or improve in the future.</p><p>Anyway, aside from all that important (and probably really cliche) stuff, hope you like this beginning chapter.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You sure you want to go through with this? You've never been to Paris before and, you might get lost, or, forget which plane to get on!"</p>
<p>"Trust me Mamon, Papa. I'll be fine! I've studied everything and I'm ready! You know that my aunt lives a couple of roads across from my apartment anyway so if something happens, I can go to her!"</p>
<p>"But what if you spend all your money? Or forget to pay the landlord? Or what if you get bullied in school?"</p>
<p>"Please, I'll be fine! You know how precarious I am with payments, and you know how responsible I am. I'm going to be okay. I promise, and I'll call you every week so you can be sure, ok? I have to go and you know that this is a big opportunity for me. A once in a lifetime opportunity."</p>
<p>"Of course sweetie. What your mother is trying to say is that we'll miss you, a lot."</p>
<p>"My little girl all grown up before me, and I didn't realise it happening." Tears began to well up in her eyes as she took you into her embrace, then to be wrapped even tighter as your father joined you.</p>
<p>After a minute or so, you unravelled, your eyes red from a couple of stray tears rebelling against your will and trickling down your face. A quick glance confirmed that you weren't the only one. Pulling on your coat and gathering your suitcase to head for the door, you snatched a kiss on the cheek from both of your parents before waving them off, restraining yourself from rethinking anything. The decision had been made. You were going to move to Paris. No turning back now.</p>
<p>A long two hour trip later, you finally arrived at the airport.</p>
<p>"<em>Merci beaucoup, monsieur</em>! <em>Au Revoir</em>!" You handed the taxi driver ten euros before taking a deep breath, entering through a large door to be greeted with a huge open space. Everywhere was bustling with passengers, security and other assorted staff. It had been a while since you'd been here. Living in an area that's pretty much a holiday resort in itself, you never really had the need to leave. Though, you regretted that instantly. This meant that you had virtually no knowledge of the mechanics and procedures to get through, at least not from experience.</p>
<p>It took you minutes to figure out the correct area to check in and go through security but at least it was over. Glancing at both your watch and the board up ahead, you came to the conclusion that you had around half an hour to spare before you needed to board your plane. As you explored the lobby, a cosy cafe caught your eye, drawing you to its warm mood lights and soft jazz music. As you began to browse the pastries and drinks they had to offer, a hand brushed your shoulder. A brief moment of panic washed over you as you grabbed their wrist tight before twisting your head back to get a clear view of them. The eyes looking back at you were deep blue and had a perplexed expression. Relieved, you loosened your grip before hugging the person tight.</p>
<p>"Marinette! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Marseille with your friends?"</p>
<p>"Well, I thought that it would be a nice surprise for you to see me before travelling. I know how stressful and anxious moving can be especially when becoming an exchange student. America definitely taught me that, and I thought a familiar face would get you off to a good start. So, I'm coming along for the ride!" She gestured to her pastel pink suitcase, accented by a floral logo before giving you an excited grin which you returned.</p>
<p>You'd known Marinette since you could remember. Years ago, Sabine and Tom lived down south in Montpellier here, just like the rest of your family. Back in university, your parents met and were the best of friends, glued by the hip. Even though Marinette's parents later moved up north into Paris to pursue their dreams of owning a bakery, they still kept in touch and you often go on holidays together. It was a surprise to see Marinette here escorting you though. You wondered if your parents had anything to do with it...</p>
<p>Interrupting your train of thought, Marinette began to order for you, "Two almond croissants and two hot chocolates please!" She turned back to you before adding, "Anything else?"</p>
<p>"Nope, that's all." She nodded. The barista began to place the croissants on separate plates on a beige tray before bringing out mugs for the hot chocolate. He poured the creamy chocolate liquid as he caught your eye, giving you a wink. A blush crept to your cheeks at his look. Considering you'd never been attractive enough to catch the attention of anyone, you weren't at all used to it. As if nothing had happened, he printed your recite, sliding it under a plate and you travelled over to a table in the far corner, overlooking the runways.</p>
<p>As you took a sip from your mug, the warmth of the drink trailed down to your stomach, releasing the tension within your muscles. At least Marinette was here with you for the ride. Speaking of Marinette, her demeanour had become jittery as she stared into a journal. A concerned look plastered your face.</p>
<p>"Hey, Marinette, are you ok? Is something wrong?"</p>
<p>She forced a smile, shaking her head, "Oh, no. It's fine. I just realised that I have a research project that I need to get done by next Monday and I haven't been able to get a start on it yet. It'll be fine though, don't worry." Your look faltered slightly as you recalled how this was such a recurring thing for her. Even though she's a pretty good student, remembering had never been her strong suit. You were honestly surprised that she didn't forget to attend school.</p>
<p>After another quick glance, she'd packed the notebook away and was staring out of the window mindfully. "It's beautiful here, isn't it? No rush, no bustle. Just peace and quiet. Paris is going to be a big change for you, isn't it?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, it sure is." you followed her gaze, thoughts trailing back to all the fun times you've had. On queue with your flashbacks, a public announcement blared from hidden speakers, jolting you a little in your seat.</p>
<p>"Flight A124 from Montpellier to Paris is now boarding at Gate 16, flight A124 from Montpellier to Paris boarding at Gate 16, thank you."</p>
<p>"That's us!" smiled Marinette as you packed your stuff and began to retreat to the gate. As you joined onto the end of the long winding queue, your excitement bubbled inside of you, your former nerves dissipating. This was it. You were going to Paris!</p>
<p>As you took to your assigned seat which happened to be only two rows away from Marinette, you let out a content sigh. Pulling out a sketchbook, pencil and laptop, you prepared yourself to use the flight productively, considering lessons began only two days after your arrival and it was no doubt going to lead to strenuously hard work from the start. Minutes later and the plane had released itself from the confines of earth and you were in the air. Smiling, you gazed out at the rays of sunshine parting the clouds, down onto the now minuscule houses. Without another word, you logged onto your laptop to begin. A familiar background flashed across the screen, decorated with scattered icons. almost by instinct, you clicked onto a word document.</p>
<p>After an hour of work and turbulence, the seatbelt sign illuminated, accompanied by an announcement by the pilot stating that you had almost arrived at the Paris-Orly Airport. You stole a glance at the city roofs below, a plethora of roads winding through them. Bustling people, tourists and locals, travelling down them. Simultaneously, joy sparked inside of you as you caught a glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe, confirming the location once more. Your daze, however, was interrupted by another announcement, stating that you were to land as soon as the runway had cleared up.</p>
<p>Queue waiting and customs later and you were free. You took a step onto the concrete pavement, luggage in one hand and purse strap in the other, a warm welcoming breeze tickling your face. This was it. You were officially in Paris. All the excitement that had but up for this moment had not been worthless. It was everything that you'd anticipated. A wide grin spread across your face as Marinette joined you, guiding you to her parked car across the street. Taking the seat aside Marinette, you buckled your seat as she drove out of the street, checking her phone for the address of your new apartment.</p>
<p>The drive lasted only half an hour, considering your flat was fairly near the city centre, to your delight. As you pulled up in front of you new home, the afternoon sun lit up its face, accenting the flowers kept on windowsills. As you unloaded your baggage, Marinette strode up to the entrance of the flat. Following her, you both entered the lobby area. The cream walls had an assortment of paintings that surely belonged in a gallery from their sheer beauty, balanced out by the mahogany side tables joining pairs of burgundy arm chairs. You couldn't help but smile.</p>
<p>After being welcomed by the landlord, you were ready to get settled into your abode, equipped with a key and valuable information (mostly on security and such but still important, insisted the little voice in your head). Waving Marinette off, you retreated up the stairs. One of the downsides to the apartment was the absence of an elevator but you considered it a way of getting in some exercise. After walking up multiple flights of stairs, you'd finally arrived at your room. 248. Twisting the key into the keyhole, you pulled at the handle, revealing the contents. </p>
<p>Taking a walk around, you were satisfied by the layout. It wasn't too large or at all luxurious considering all you had to fund this was your previous summer jobs babysitting and some compensation provided by your parents and the university. Nonetheless, you didn't mind the space and couldn't help but leap in joy as you saw the beautiful view of the Parisian skyline from a balcony window. You were finally here.</p>
<p>A gruelling hour was spent unpacking your bags. You hadn’t brought much with you as you weren’t planning on permanently living there, at least, not in that apartment. But, even with your light packing, the list of requirements for your classes pretty much took up two thirds of your luggage.</p>
<p>Sighing for the third time that afternoon, you plugged your laptop into a socket behind a desk and slumped onto the chair beside it in exhaustion. Though the day had been long, it had all been worth it.</p>
<p>The silence of the room was interrupted by a low growl emitted from your stomach. You hadn’t had a morsel of food since you had a croissant in the airport and you were suffering the consequences. After a couple more groans, you reluctantly heaved yourself over to your newly filled closet. Your clothes were admittedly sweaty from travelling and as you began to dream of all sorts of new dishes to try in Paris, you pulled out the first outfit that came to hand. A canary yellow tank top and navy leggings. Not the best but it would have to do as the storm in your stomach was showing no signs of stopping.</p>
<p>After you’d changed, you plucked your purse from the depths of a pile of wrapping paper and headed out. The reason for the wrapping was that you knew for a fact that Marinette’s birthday was coming up and were planning ahead. Though, packing is way harder of a feat then it seems and you’d put it on hold for now.</p>
<p>Lucky for you, only a short walk later, you came across a quaint cafe. It seemed welcoming enough, with its floral decor and cosy lights, perfect considering the setting sun barely illuminated the streets.</p>
<p>After some serious pondering, you decided to have a <em>croque monsieur</em> and a hot chocolate. Not very creative but it was the best your tired head could think of in the moment, especially with a queue of people behind you. Minutes after you’d taken to a table upstairs with a view of the Notre Dame and began on your sandwich, your phone buzzed frantically from your hip. Setting everything down, you went to check to see a couple of texts from your parents and Marinette, along with two emails from the university. Weighing out priorities, you first replied to your parents, promising to call them once you got home. You then moved on to see what Marinette had to say. Clicking on your chat, you saw a couple of photos of the university and an annotated map, followed by a message.</p>
<p>
  <em>Hey! Thought you’d be a little nervous about finding your way around campus so I thought you’d appreciate some guidance from yours truly. The photos are more for familiarity but the map should be of some use when finding your classes. Anyway, moving on from that boring stuff, I was wondering if you’d like to come with me and a couple of my friends to a fair tomorrow afternoon. You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, with studying to get the position at school so you deserve a bit of a break. Hope you can come! See you xx</em>
</p>
<p>A smile crossed your lips at her thoughtful gesture before typing out a reply.</p>
<p>
  <em>Hey Marinette, thanks for the photos. You got me spot on, I had that on my worries all week. With the invitation, I still have some work I’d like to get done before the workload from university but I’ll see if I can be there on time. It would be a nice opportunity to meet your friends! Could you send me the address? Thanks, see you xx</em>
</p>
<p>Address received, you smiled at the notion of meeting more people. Hopefully they were as nice as Marinette had always talked about them. With those out of the way, you finally checked the email for anything of importance. </p>
<p>After your name and address, the email began.</p>
<p>
  <em>We’ve sent this email in order to make sure of your smooth transition into the school system. It will be our pleasure to have you as a new student at our university and hope that you can share our enthusiasm with this. As you already know, the term begins next Monday, which, assuming this message has been delivered to you at its designated time, is within two days. You will also be aware of the courses that you have applied and been accepted for which will be listed in the attachment below, along with a timetable, booklet with various information and other resources that you may find of use. We hope that this has helped and made you feel more assured about your transition to our university. Thank you</em>
</p>
<p>The message, even though you knew was prewritten, gave you a warm welcoming feel. A pleasant reminder that you were remembered. Another reminder was the warm waft of chocolate from your drink, bringing you back to reality.</p>
<p>Aware of the little time that you had left, you scoffed down the last of the <em>croque monsieur</em>, washed down with hot chocolate (that had thankfully cooled as you were sure that you would have otherwise burned your throat), grabbed your purse and left the cafe.</p>
<p>The streets were illuminated by glowing street lamps, the sun no longer up. It had also become quite empty, considering any tourists were long gone and locals were either at home or busy at work. Even though you enjoyed company, you also appreciated the silence. Allowing for the moments to play back in your mind, you jogged back home, eager to get some rest.</p>
<p>Minutes had passed and you regretted wandering around in wonder before. The unfamiliar roads had morphed into one and you had wound up in a random alleyway. You had no idea how you’d ended up here but the fact that it was a foreign area didn’t help your nerves. The soles of your baller flats tapped against the cobblestone road, tempo gradually getting irregular as you sped up. Nearing the end, a partition of the streetlamp light was blocked. A discrete chuckle breezed your nape as you glimpsed a twisted grin.</p>
<p>Eyes widening, you felt a shot of adrenaline coarse through you. Accelerating your walk to a run, you rushed to escape the constraints of the enclosed street. To your dismay, the figure was two steps ahead of you, instantly noticing your movement and catching you within their arms. You cried out in horror as a gloved hand clasped across. Muffled screams echoed in your ears as you fought against your assailant’s grip, but, to no avail.</p>
<p>”Shut up or there will be more where that came from.” They hissed into your ear.</p>
<p>Beginning to feel light headed from the loss of oxygen, your body fell limp against theirs. You almost gave in before a shout came from above. Unable to see the origin of the call, you deeply hoped it wasn’t a partner of whoever was holding you captive. A second later and the man (which you realised once he was lying on the floor) had been tackled off you by someone who appeared to also be in black attire. After a fairly short exchange between the men (which pretty much resulted in a short fight and your captor speeding off before the other could do any real damage), you backed away from the scene. There was no proof that you could trust this new guy, no matter who he was (or said he was).</p>
<p>At the tilt of his head, the light caught his sharp green irises. It was like nothing you’d seen before. Quickly glancing at his outfit, you came to realise he was in fact wearing none other than a tight leather cat suit. Upon closer inspection, you also noticed two black triangles prevalent between his blond locks, probably from a head band, and a long tail that trailed behind him that was one with the belt wrapped around his waist. A cough brought you back and you realised that you'd been staring at him with wide eyes. </p>
<p>Smirking, he began, "If you keep looking at me like that, I might begin to consider you have ulterior intentions, my lady."</p>
<p>To your shock he bowed down, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips while keeping eye contact. You gulped before coming back to your senses and pulling your hand away with a strong blush. What was this guy thinking, kissing your hand? He was still looking at you with a smug expression, before you turned to leave the alley. You couldn't trust him, especially with how weird he was acting. You didn't even know his name!</p>
<p>However, he'd already jumped in front, startling you, "Where are you going, <em>ma chérie</em>? You just got here, I haven't even been able to introduce myself. Chat Noir, at your service." He bowed once again. You rolled your eyes at the gesture, uncertainty slowly dissolving. If he had wanted to hurt you, surely he would've done it already, right? "Now, all that's left to do is for you to tell me your name."</p>
<p>You bit your lip before putting on a confident façade. "I don't make it a habit to tell strangers my name."</p>
<p>"Hmmm, responsible, aren't you? I guess I'll respect your wishes then, my lady."</p>
<p>"Why are you calling me that? Is your flirting part of some elaborate plan to trick me?"</p>
<p>"Excuse you!" he put a hand to his heart in mock devastation, "I wouldn't dare trick anyone, cat's honour."</p>
<p>At another roll of your eyes, you asked again, "Then why are you calling me that? You don't even know me."</p>
<p>"Purrhaps, but I have a feeling that we'll be seeing each other again."</p>
<p>Before you could react, he kissed your knuckles once again before smirking and extending a staff that was attached to his belt to jump onto the roof he'd arrived from.</p>
<p>After he disappeared, you had utter confusion wash over you. What was that? Why was he so nice? It didn't make any sense. However much you wanted to consider this in the moment, a cool breeze reminded you that you had to get home. Lucky for you, even after your mindless wandering, you somehow managed to find your way back to your apartment. After arriving home, you set your purse on your chair. Slipping into your pyjamas on, you pulled your covers onto yourself in your new bed. The mattress felt weird and the duvet crisp and cold. Shutting your eyes firmly to block out the slit of light from the corner of your curtain and eventually drifted off into sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I’ve finally begun the story. Honestly not entirely sure where and how long this is going to go for so you'll be finding out along with me. But all I can say is that it'll be eventful.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. La Fête Foraine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We’ll see how my writing skills hold up to writing some first introductions. Can’t promise anything but I’ll try my best.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Buzzing rang in your ears, along with the faint melody of a classical piece, doing nothing to soften the harsh noise. You'd need to do something about that later. Prying your eyes open to let in the harsh light of your phone, you turned your alarm off, sighing deeply. You rested your head against your pillow in thought, staring up at the ceiling.<br/></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The night had been rough, to say the least. You told yourself repeatedly that it was from the new bed and environment but a small part of you traced it back to the moment in the alley. That strange meeting that you couldn’t make sense of no merger how hard you tried. Every time you closed your eyes, the imprint of those green eyes stared back at you. Pushing it aside, you pulled the covers off, shivering at the cool stale air stinging your skin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Standing in your lone kitchen, you pulled a bowl from a drawer, along with a box of granola, having changed into a pair of jeans and a crimson turtleneck. Preparing your breakfast, you caught a glance of the bustling city from a window. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Men and women dressed in smart uniforms rushing to get to work on time, tourists with bright summer wear strolling whilst taking the occasional photo and teenagers laughing along with their friends whilst entering cafes and bistros for breakfast. They all, however, had one thing in common. No matter who they were or what they were doing, everyone was unique, with their own style and personal expression. The beauty or individuality was so prominent that it was something you admired about the culture.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turning back to your bowl, you swirled your spoon around to mix the granola and yoghurt before putting some in your mouth. It wasn't the best but you didn't know of any reputable bakeries nearby and certainly didn't look presentable to go out in the street, so you resided to good old granola. Taking a sip from your orange juice, you winced at the awkward combination of flavours in your mouth. Bad idea.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Clearing the kitchen didn't take long and before you knew it, you'd sat on your desk chair and logged into your laptop. Your emails were overloaded by good luck messages from family and friends, confirmation messages from your old university and additional information from the new one. You skimmed through them, making sure to send responses when necessary until you'd managed to lower the notification number from 43 to 16. Quite an improvement, you must say. The next step was to go through what equipment was necessary for your courses. In order to have some variety, you'd picked both academic and creative subjects, which meant for a longer list than expected, especially for the design classes you had.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You scrolled all the way through, eyes widening at the sheer volume. Contemplating the time you had before the fair you promised to go to and the supplies needed, you decided it would be best to get them now to avoid a bad impression with your teachers if you were to be underprepared. Tidying up your hair, you grabbed your coat and purse before heading out of the apartment. The breeze hit your exposed face, making for a shock. Letting out a breath, you began to walk down the street, phone in one hand to follow directions to the nearest store.</span>
</p><p class="p1">———</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When you finally reached the entrance, you sighed in relief that you hadn't lost yourself like yesterday. The interior was brightly decorated with modern coloured walls and original wall pieces and shelving. The upbeat music emitted from speakers gave welcoming feel and you began to walk down the aisles, eyes darting from row to row. It seemed that you weren't the only one frantically buying supplies with the majority of the shop taken up by teenagers and young adults. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">You chuckled at the sight of a thirteen </span> <span class="s1">year old girl who was staring, mesmerised by an example of artwork made using a combination of acrylic and poster paints. Taking a look at it yourself, you couldn't help but gaze at the intricacies and beauty of the painting. As you went to move, you almost knocked into someone who was also looking at the art. Trying to regain your composure, you mumbled sorry with an apologetic look and you gazed up at him.</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Short blond hair gave way to his soft forest green eyes that smiled at you. His complexion was lightly tanned, face smooth and jaw sharp. A head taller than you, his figure was lean and muscular, somewhat familiar but you couldn't place your finger on it. His smile had become strained once you realised you'd been looking him up and down without a word.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Are you ok? You look a bit, dazed." he gave a sympathetic look.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" you cursed inwardly at your enthusiasm, "I mean, sorry for almost bumping into you. I wasn't looking where I was going..."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He waved his hands in front of him, eyes wide, "No, no! It's fine, don't worry about it."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nodding, you bit your lip. Should you ask who he is? The more you looked at him, the more you were sure that you'd seen him someplace or another. "Um, excuse me but, have I seen you somewhere before? I don't want to sound abrupt or anything but you seem so familiar."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A smile appeared as he shook his face. “I’m pretty sure everyone in Paris has seen me in one way or another.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Confusion rising, you have him a perplexed look, waiting for an elaboration.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”I actually model for my father’s brand. You’ve probably just seen an advertisement.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”You’re a model?” Your eyes widened at the notion of meeting a model.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”Yeah, I am.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “My dad’s Gabriel Agreste and he gets me to model for him. It’s not really how I like to introduce myself.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eyes widening, the pieces in your head miraculously clicked into place. “You’re Adrien Agreste!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Smiling sheepishly, he nodded. You returned the smile, stretching a hand out to him. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Agreste.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Surprised at your nonchalant behaviour, he took your hand into his to return the shake. “And it’s nice to meet you too, Miss?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You responded with your name and he completed the sentence, concentrating on the syllables of your name, as if he was trying to carve it into his memory.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”Well, it was very nice meeting you and I do hope to see you again.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”Likewise.” You smiled. He was so unlike the stereotypical model. Kind, down-to-earth, honest. You admired it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”See you around, <em>à plus</em>!” He waved as he continued down the aisle to the checkout.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">”<em>À plus!</em>” Your eyes trailed behind him before you redirected them. You went back to going through your list for the rest of the supplies.</span>
</p><p class="p1">———</p><p class="p1">Sticking your keys into the lock, you turned your wrist to let yourself in. Dumping two full tote bags onto your sofa, you slumped beside them, exhausted. It had taken you another hour and a half to find everything needed and there were still a couple of obscure items that you were going to order online. Sighing as you stretched your arms, you went to switch the TV on. You were lucky enough to find an apartment that was ready furnished but you knew that you weren’t going to have much time to watch TV once classes began.</p><p class="p1">As you flicked through the channels, you landed on the news and the headline caught your eye.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news. I’m Nadia Chamack coming to you live with another akuma attack. Ladybug and Chat Noir have almost defeated the new villain, who’s been calling themselves ‘The Manipulator’ from the Louvre! We’ll update you as developments take place. Now, onto the weather.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">As the weather girl went through the forecast for the week, you spaced out. You recalled Marinette mentioning something about superheroes in Paris but you’d never believed her, assuming she was just messing with you. Guess she deserved an apology.</p><p class="p1">You also recalled the name: Chat Noir. <em>Guess he wasn’t a criminal</em>. You were relieved that you hadn’t put yourself in more danger yesterday after that man had attempted to kidnap you but you still wondered how Chat Noir had found you with such ease yesterday. Paris was such a large city, finding one specific person is a hassle. <em>Though I guess he’s a superhero</em>. It’s just part of his job.</p><p class="p1">Clear skies were expected for the rest of the day but temperatures were dropping and you knew it wouldn’t be long before a coat would become compulsory for outdoor activities. Taking this information into account, you walked into your room and rummaged through your wardrobe for something to wear to the fair. Even though there was still a couple of hours till you had to go, you wanted to prepare an outfit ahead of time as you knew that when it came to overthinking, you may as well have been a queen of the land.</p><p class="p1">After going through your outfits, you agreed on a jade long sleeved dress that landed just above your knees with a pair of beige tights and black ballet flats. A quick check of the time confirmed that you now had an hour till your meeting. You returned to the sofa, crossing your legs to form a platform across them and after rummaging through one of the totes, pulled out a new sketchbook and pencil. Considering you had the time, it seemed logical to do some rough sketches of figures for your class tomorrow. Considering how strict your schedule was going to be, preparation was key.</p><p class="p1">However, even though the idea had seemed genius, you couldn’t put pen to paper. Everything you drew was either messy or unfinished. No inspiration. After another attempt at a woman leaning against a wall, you sighed, shutting the book. It was already half past five and you only had twenty or so minutes before you had to go. Pulling on your previously picked outfit, you checked your phone one last time before heading out.</p><p class="p1">———</p><p class="p1">A flash of light blinded your eyes as you crossed the street to the entrance. Cheers and screams merged into one sound, reflecting the excitement the rides posed upon the riders. You sweeped the area before your eyes landed on Marinette, waving to you from a group of people. You returned the wave, making your way towards them. Once you were within range, Marinette suddenly embraced you, to your surprise. Pulling away from you, you caught her gleeful smile.</p><p class="p1">"You're finally here! I thought I was going to have to drag you out of your cave."</p><p class="p1">You pouted at how she'd referenced your apartment, "Oh come on, it's not that bad."</p><p class="p1">She shrugged before pulling you by the arm over to her friends. At your approach, the three of them turned to face you, brows first knit with confusion before a moment of clarity and an eager smile to follow. Pushing you towards them, Marinette presented you like a puppet and began to introduce you to them. Alya seemed just as passionate about her blogging as you were told and Nino was a relaxed guy with huge goals to become a professional DJ one day.</p><p class="p1">However, your eyes lingered on the third who was laughing at Nino and Alya bickering. When he turned to face you as Marinette called his name, you made eye contact and a realisation dawned on the two of you.</p><p class="p1">”By the way, Mr Agreste here is a professional model. Though  sure you could tell by his dashing good looks. Even managed to get Marinette under his trance.” Alya smirked.</p><p class="p1">”That was ages ago, Alya. Please let me live it down.”</p><p class="p1">”Never.” She grinned as Marinette simply shook her head. </p><p class="p1">”Hey! You’re the one I saw at the store right?” He added your name on to check and you nodded with a small smile. He’d actually remembered your name.</p><p class="p1">”Well, seems as though you’ve already become acquainted with each other. If so, you’d know of Adrien’s flirty nature...” Marinette smirked in his direction as the words came out of her mouth as he pouted and frowned. You brushed it off, assuming it was some inside joke.</p><p class="p1">As you filtered through the fair, you caught glimpses of rollercoasters and assorted stalls, each offering a variety of toys in return for a win at a seemingly simple game. Years of childhood misery had taught you well.</p><p class="p1">A hand lightly tapped on your shoulder, sending a tingle of nerves down your arm. Glancing behind you, Adrien’s face smiled back at you.</p><p class="p1">”Alya and Nino have gone to one of the rollercoasters, or, Alya forced Nino to ride one of the rollercoasters and Marinette saw one of her classmates and they’ve gone off so it’s just us.”</p><p class="p1">Surprised, you looked around you, seeing that they had in fact spilt up. Turning back, you saw Adrien’s cheeks were pink. <em>Probably from the heat</em>, you concurred.</p><p class="p1">”Do you want to do something? Perhaps go on one of the rides or stalls?” He gave a soft smile.</p><p class="p1">”Sure. You probably know more than I do about this place. You pick where we go, I don’t mind.”</p><p class="p1">Tapping at his chin, he gave an inquisitive look, staring into midair. You released a chuckle at his gesture. Out of the blue, he grinned at your raised eyebrow before tugging your arm. “I know where we should start.”</p><p class="p1">———</p><p class="p1">After an hour, you and Adrien had rode the Thriller (which stopped the blood flowing through your veins from the scare), teacups (your request to calm your nerves) and were now passing by stalls. Taking a sip from a neon pink cup, you gazed at the bright, flashing signs above you. From your side, Adrien bit into an <em>éclair </em>before pointing at a coconut shy.</p><p class="p1">”I’m going to have a try at that.”</p><p class="p1">You couldn’t help but snigger.</p><p class="p1">”Hey! I have a great throwing arm and I bet you I can win one of those prizes.”</p><p class="p1">You rolled your eyes playfully as he neared the stand, handing the stall-owner a couple of tokens in exchange for three balls. He handed his drink to you to get a better stance. You stood beside him as he took aim at the middle coconut. Leaning in, you stated, “You know these are rigged, right?”</p><p class="p1">As he practised his throw, he shook his head. “Nonsense. All you need is the right throw, that’s all.” As he finished his sentence, he threw one of the balls. It missed the coconut barely, instead hitting the pole. Tsking, he took another ball into his hand.</p><p class="p1">You giggled at his reaction which he returned with a mock glare before concentrating on aiming at the left coconut. Another shot and the ball ricocheted off the back wall onto the floor. He sighed, frustrated, his earlier hopes diminished.</p><p class="p1">Seeing his down self, you instinctively put a hand to his back, catching his attention. As he looked at you with wide eyes, you gave a small smile.</p><p class="p1">”What if I try it this time?”</p><p class="p1">As if contemplating his decision, he brushed his chin before giving an exaggerated sigh, handing the last ball into your hand and taking both drinks from you. Eyeing between the coconuts and the ball, you crouched down to get a better aim. You could feel Adrien’s gaze on you, sending a shiver down your spine. Why was this giving you such a reaction? Three, two, one, you counted down in your head before you flung the ball with all your force towards the centre.</p><p class="p1">Turning your head to Adrien, his jaw had dropped. Perplexed at his reaction, you turned to see the stand before letting out a gasp. The centre pole was empty, the former coconut lying on the floor. The owner shuffled to put the coconut back in position and with tired eyes, asked you which prize you wanted. Both you and Adrien scanned the hanging toys, taking care to make your decision.</p><p class="p1">You turned to Adrien. “You pick, it’s your prize.”</p><p class="p1">He shook his head, “No, no. You scored that winning shot, you deserve the prize.” Clearing his throat, the man gave you an insistent look, probably getting frustrated at how long you were taking. Deciding that there was no point in arguing with Adrien, you pointed to a plastic bag from the back shelf which the stall manager handed to you.</p><p class="p1">Curious, Adrien looked into your hand to see a little black cat phone case staring back at him. His mouth opened and shut, evidently trying to figure out what to say. Before he figured it out, you cut in. “I like cats. Always wanted one when I was younger.”</p><p class="p1">He gave an ‘o’ with his mouth before nodding in understandment. Placing the case on your phone and into your purse, you glanced at Adrien in silent agreement and carried on down the alley.</p><p class="p1">After a short silent walk, a large Ferris wheel appeared in front of you. Multicoloured LEDs shone across the structure in synced patterns, a beautiful show of light and colour. You couldn’t help but let out a gasp at the sight.</p><p class="p1">Adrien seemed to be as entranced as you by the spectacular scene and turned to you soon after, eyes eager and wide. It was as though he were under a childlike trance that you’d rarely seen in adults and you couldn’t help but find it endearing. So often, people lose that childhood desire to discover and create so to see someone who’s retained it was very admirable to you.</p><p class="p1">He gave you a look reminiscent of puppy-dog eyes as he pointed to the wheel, taking you off guard. Biting your lip, you avoided his eyes, reluctant to give in. A slight glance towards him was a big mistake as it tipped you over the edge.</p><p class="p1">Giving a sigh, you nodded. “Ok, we can go.”</p><p class="p1">His eyes lit up, childish wonder still present. You were learning a lot about Adrien that strayed far from his public image and you were honestly  surprised at how open he was, considering the contrast between both of his personas.</p><p class="p1">Eyeing the queue, you both joined the end and began the wait.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, here you go. My first cliffhanger. I admit that this didn’t turn out too great but I tried and hope to get better in the future. As always, constructive criticism is incredibly useful so don’t hesitate to point out my mistakes. Also, the title translates to ‘The Fun Fair’ if you were wondering.</p><p>Hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Spinning Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back! This chapter sort of serves as a part two to the previous one but I didn’t want to give them the same name this early in the fanfic. I just thought it would be useful to point that out.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The line was long and winding, showing no promise of movement. The temptation to leave was of abundance but the look of pure delight on Adrien’s face was worth the wait.</p><p>Forty minutes and some small talk later and you were only one away from your turn on the Ferris wheel. The more time you spent beside Adrien, the more you came to realise how down to earth of a person he was. Behind his successful public image, he was a kind understanding person. However, one thing troubled your thoughts. How come someone as likeable as him didn’t have plenty of friends?</p><p>You decided to brush it off for now, feeling as though you’d be stepping over a boundary if you were to ask so early in your friendship but filed it away for the future.</p><p>As the pair in front of you boarded a carriage, the ferris owner called to you, bringing you back to reality. He motioned to suggest the payment and you handed him the amount of tokens required. He rubbed the tokens in his palm before nodding in confirmation and opening the gate to a recently emptied carriage.</p><p>Stepping in, minding the threshold, you took a seat at the far right corner; Adrien sat opposite you. After a few seconds, you began to move, slowly inching towards the top. The elevated position gave you a beautiful view of the illuminated Parisian skyline. From a quick look, you saw that Adrien was as mesmerised as you by the sight.</p><p>After a minute or so, he returned your look, as you redirected your gaze. Had he seen you? You willed that he hadn’t but were grateful that he hadn’t mentioned it if he did.</p><p>The heat of his gaze on you burned the side of your head. You gulped as he finally turned away.</p><p>Clearing his throat, he spoke. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Paris at night.”</p><p>You lifted an eyebrow at how he’d began the conversation, but thought it was probably an attempt to avoid an awkward silence. Equally as avoidant of such a thing, you played along, “Yeah, it really is. Montpellier isn’t busy enough to look like this, at least not where I live.”</p><p>The mention of your hometown stung your heart but you had to remind yourself that it was all ok. Adrien, noticing your sad look, gave a sympathetic smile. “It must have been a difficult decision. To move here I mean. Away from home and your family.”</p><p>You gulped at the mention of your family, your resolve threatening to break down. Noticing your silence, he frowned and tentatively put a hand to your shoulder. His touch felt warm against your cool skin and you gave a sad smile in return.</p><p>It did seem a bit ungrateful of his comfort but you couldn’t think of a different response with your feelings skewed by the sensation his hand gave you. Regaining your cool, you shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, trying to give the impression that you were fine.</p><p>”It may be difficult but it’s also a great experience for me and I’d have to leave sooner or later, right?”</p><p>As you glanced at him, he nodded at your words. “You’re right. We’ve all got to leave some day. Some sooner than others though...” His voice drifted out as he turned away to stare out, plastered with a solemn expression.</p><p>You frowned to yourself. What had happened? Was this a sensitive topic for him? You didn’t know but you knew that treading lightly would be best, considering the slim chances of him opening up to you.</p><p>However, on some impulsive reaction, you got up and sat beside him, wrapping an arm along his back. Tensing his muscles, he looked at you in surprise. You weren’t sure if you were stepping over boundaries, I mean, you had just met a couple of hours ago, but you wanted him to see that you cared.</p><p>A minute or so later, you began to feel Adrien’s muscles relax, leaning towards you for support. Taking this as a sign it was alright, you too leaned against him, gently resting your head against his shoulder. Neither of you said anything to acknowledge what was going on and you knew that you probably wouldn’t in future either. This was going to be some unwritten moment in your history, and you didn’t mind.</p><p>A yawn came over both of you as the sun set leaving faint shimmers of pink on the clouds. Your eyelids felt heavier and threatened to shut. Glancing up, you saw Adrien’s eyes closed and a faint smile upon his lips. The same smile appeared on your lips as you began to drift off to sleep.</p><p>As you fell deeper and deeper into the depths of your dreams, you found yourself back in Montpellier. Warm sand tickled the soles of your feet, a cool breeze brushed your sun-kissed skin, the salty smell wafting from the clear sea.</p><p>To your right, Marinette and a couple of your friends passing a volley ball among each other, their laughter and joy warming your heart.</p><p>To your left, your mother and father were chatting along with Tom and Sabine Cheng, exchanging jokes and smiles. Everything felt at peace, everything right where it should be.</p><p>However, you had spoken too soon. Your vision gradually became distorted, the contrast of colours decreasing. As this change took place, the people in front of you, who were once lively and well, began to melt away as if they were nothing more than wax statues.</p><p>This went on until everything was black and white and you were left lone on the empty beach. You opened your mouth, no sound willing to escape as you heard the faint calling of your name. The volume increased before your eyes flicked open in shock.</p><p>Eyes blurry from sleep, all you could see was Adrien looking down at you in concern. You blushed at the position you were in; your head was resting on Adrien’s lap, although, you didn’t remember it being there earlier, and he had one hand underneath it, caressing your hair.</p><p>You cautiously touched the nape of your neck and felt your hair wet with your sweat. Pulling a couple of strands that were stuck, you realised Adrien’s eyes were still full of worry.</p><p>You gently lifted your head off his legs, in an attempt to convey that you were fine, but was hit by a sharp pain at the sudden movement. Gripping your forehead, you massaged your temple, trying to rid yourself from the headaches grasp.</p><p>Meanwhile, Adrien stayed silent, in knowledge that noise wouldn’t help. Even though you didn’t have the strength to say much, you wanted to thank him for it.</p><p>A couple of minutes had passed and the ache had subsided, to your relief. Wanting to assure Adrien you were fine as the look on his face hadn’t wavered since you’d awoken, you gave him a genuine smile.</p><p>His eyes assumed a relaxed look and you suddenly realised how close you were to one other. From this distance, you could practically hear Adrien’s heartbeat against his chest.</p><p>It was almost as though you could see him from a new light. His green eyes almost luminescent in the daze of the setting sun, his hair tousled by the rides you’d ridden earlier, his jaw defined and prominent, relative to his model physique.</p><p>Moments passed before you realised what you were doing and frantically shifted your gaze, aware of his look. You’d only just met him and you were already acting as though you were attracted to him like some sort of fan. You didn’t want to give him the wrong idea but you may already have considering you fell asleep on him. Too awkward.</p><p>As if the universe had been aware of your suffering, you realised the ride had come to a standstill and the doors of the carriage had opened, a small step leading to the ground. Relieved that this was finally over, you rushed out. To your surprise, so did Adrien, him following your trail with the same eagerness.</p><p>Releasing a breath you were unaware you were holding, you caught a glance of the rest of your group; Alya and Nino were chatting with Marinette, who’s probably said her farewells to her university friend.</p><p>Adrien gave a nod as you faced him, probably having seen them too, and you both joined them.</p><p>”Alya, what did you do? You’ve practically broken Nino!” Marinette eyed Alya with a stern look.</p><p>”It was nothing that he couldn’t handle already, he’s fine! Just... tired, that’s all.” She flashed a grin that failed to convince the girl.</p><p>Meanwhile, Adrien walked up to his friend, full of concern. “Nino? Are you ok?”</p><p>Wavering a nod, Nino slumped into his arms, showing promise of falling asleep. Adrien supported his best friend as best as he could with a sympathetic smile which evoke a sense of happiness within you. This was yet another sign of Adrien’s kindness.</p><p>Marinette, after her argument with Alya, addressed both you and Adrien, winking seductively, “So, I heard you both went off on your own. Even rode a Ferris wheel together. How romantic, I must say.”</p><p>Your cheeks began to heat up at her insinuation and by the look on Adrien’s face, so was he. To make matters worse, Alya had to carry the conversation on.</p><p>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? Though, I do know that Adrien doesn’t allow all his dates to get in an empty room with him, or in this case, empty carriage.” She wriggled her eyebrows as you turned red and Adrien tried to form sentences to contradict her statement. As he began, Marinette cut him off.</p><p>”No need to deny it Adrien, we all know how eager you can be with women.” Flushed, Adrien looked to you and spluttered his words.</p><p>”I really didn’t mean it like that, I swear! I just thought you’d like it and-“</p><p>”Ha ha! So you were thinking of her! I take that as my case closed.” Alya smirked triumphantly as Adrien shook his head in disbelief. You giggled at the sight, somewhat reassuring him that you hadn’t taken the ordeal seriouslg. From what you’d seen so far, teasing was a regular part of their friendship and yet the bonds between them were never severed as a result.</p><p>Marinette, who was also smirking at Adrien, turned to you with a more serious look. “Anyway, even though I’d love to stay around and expose lover boy here, I have early classes tomorrow and I can’t afford another late mark so I should get going.”</p><p>”You’re always late, Mari. I think your professors know this by now.” Alya sniggered at a frustrated Marinette.</p><p>However, at the mention of the time, you too glanced at your phone. 9:24pm. You couldn’t believe your eyes. How had time passed so quickly? You guessed it was because you’d enjoyed your time with Adrien more than you would’ve liked to admit.</p><p>”Marinette’s right, it’s getting late and it is my first day at university tomorrow so I can’t make a bad first impression.”</p><p>”Well, I can tell you that you made a good impression on us, especially Adrien.” Adrien rolled his eyes at a hysterical Alya before walking up to you.</p><p>As he leaned in, your breath hitched in your throat before you realised he was going for your cheek. Even having lived your whole life in France, you’d always found that custom to be unusual and more intimate than intended. But, you had to remind yourself it was normal. Nothing special.</p><p>After saying your goodbyes to both Adrien and a half asleep Nino, you hugged Alya, mentioning how nice it was to meet her and how you would like to do something of a similar nature once again. She repeated your words, talking of how much fun she’d had.</p><p>Now, all that was left was Marinette. “Thank you so much Mari! I know I was slightly hesitant to come to the fair yesterday but I really don’t regret it. You have such kind, understanding, funny friends and it makes sense as to why you always talk about them.”</p><p>”No problem! I knew you’d enjoy it, especially before school begins and we can’t do this as often. It will also be good to see a couple of familiar faces in your classes, I’m sure.” She winked, “Anyway, as I said, long day tomorrow and we should both, emphasis on you, get some rest. Ok?”</p><p>You grinned with mock reluctance, “Ok. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye Mari!”</p><p>”Bye!” She waved as she turned the corner out of the entrance. After a few moments, you too exited the fair and went home.</p><p>———</p><p>It was only when you flopped onto your bed that you realised how much your energy had drained during the day. You could barely bring yourself to get ready for bed. After being surrounded by the crowds of the fair, your apartment seemed emptier. As another yawn came over you, a flash of light passed your bedroom window.</p><p>Alarmed, you approached your balcony, scanning the street below, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Brushing it off as something that was a result of your weariness, you tucked yourself into bed and switched the light off, falling into your sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another chapter, another display of my failures as a writer. Please mention anything you’d like me to redact and revise in the future as I do genuinely appreciate feedback and I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Collége d’Art et Science</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’ve been attempting to post on a regular basis so far, though, granted, I’m not exactly in the position  to be saying this only four chapters in. But I'm going to have a lot more work to do in the next few weeks so there are going to be longer gaps in between my posts, unfortunately. However, I will still try my best to get through them and I hope I can still entertain those who do enjoy this story. Anyway, I'll stop rambling on.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The warm morning sun glistened against the large windowpanes of the university, illuminating its entrance. Students grazed on the garden either side of you, chatting and collaborating on projects. Your boots clicked against the stone paved path you walked along.  As you looked ahead, the entrance had two marble statues on either side of the door. As they loomed over you, a shiver went down your spine at their stern expressions.</p><p>Picking up the pace, you reached the door and slipped inside. You weren’t late to your lesson but you weren’t exactly early either so you knew that you only had a couple of minutes to find your class before a late note slapped you in the face.</p><p>The hallways were a labyrinth, every wall and corner practically identical, so the map Marinette sent you helped a ton. You'd have to thank her later, especially after everything she'd done for you.</p><p>A minute passed and you’d already reached the correct room. <em>Figure Drawing 1</em>. Yep, this was it. The door was already at a slight angle so you slipped through the gap. Breathing deep to slow your heartbeat down, which was a result of the worry of being late, you scanned the room for an absent seat. Finding a space on the middle row, you lowered yourself onto a stool and pulled out your equipment from your backpack.</p><p>Sighing, you reluctantly flipped through your sketchbook to give another look at your previous attempts at figure drawing. A grimace appeared on your face as you glanced at the tasteless sketches. Hopefully your brain would give you some mercy and spare you a drop of inspiration for your lesson today. You didn't want the teacher to think of you as an incompetent artist, especially on your first day.</p><p>Seconds later, said teacher rushed into the classroom and practically collapsed into his seat, catching the attention of the class. A couple of them sniggered at his flustered looks as his papers flew across his desk, but you couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy towards him. Once he managed to get his laptop set up, he cleared his throat as the volume in the room fell.</p><p>Satisfied with the level of noise, he gave a smile before clicking the remote in his palm to switch the slide on the projector. A variety of famous portraits and artwork gradually appeared, creating a collage of images covering the screen. What preceded all of these photos was a large question mark.</p><p>”Welcome to Figure Drawing! My name’s Monsieur DuPont and I will be your teacher for the rest of the school year. Today, I would like to begin our course with a seemingly simple question. What do all the images of both classical and modern artwork have in common? What ties them together, connecting them, unifying them?”</p><p>Intrigued by the teacher’s unorthodox beginning to his lesson and boost of confidence, students around you began to discuss potential answers among themselves. Seemed they were used to his teaching style. You turned to see that you’d say yourself next to a brunette girl who had already gotten herself in a heated discussion with a blond boy.</p><p>You lifted a finger to tap her shoulder, getting her attention. Her chestnut eyes gave you a questioning yet friendly look. “Hey, I was wondering if I could talk the answer through with you as there isn’t anyone else nearby.”</p><p>Biting your lip, you awaited her reply. Perhaps you’d been too forward. Surely that’s not how you ask to talk to someone. However, before you could overthink the situation any more, the girl gave you a warm smile and nodded. “Of course! I was just trying to convince Thomas over here that the answer has  got nothing to do with the medium of art they’ve used but he still won’t admit he’s wrong.” She gave the boy she’d been debating with a pointed look.</p><p>In retaliation, he mirrored her look. “I won’t admit I’m wrong because that would be lying to myself. You haven’t even considered it to be a possible answer. No, instead, you prefer making me shut up.”</p><p>Smirking, the girl leaned towards him. “You hit the nail on the head with that one Thomas. I do prefer making you shut up. You’re getting wiser. At least, wiser than a six year old.” She let out a laugh as Thomas huffed.</p><p>As he looked past the girl, he caught your eye and stretched his arm out to you, ignoring the girl’s fit of giggles. “Hey, nice to meet you. I’m Thomas by the way, though you already knew that after Miss Know-it-all over here announced it. Anyway, what’s your name?”</p><p>You replied with your name and explained how you’d moved from Montpellier to attend the university after being reserved a position. Meanwhile, the other girl had calmed down enough to speak properly without spluttering her words. “I’m sorry, Thomas can just be priceless sometimes. I’ve been so rude! I haven’t even told you my name! I’m Isabelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”</p><p>After having shook both their hands, the teacher called the class to quiet down once again. You turned to face him as he clicked the remote again to switch to a new slide.</p><p>”Now, from what I’ve heard, you all have different answers. Some of you more persistent about them. Perhaps try to be a little quieter over there Isabelle.”</p><p>Your eyes widened at the mention of the girl as she playfully stuck her tongue at the professor who chuckled in response.</p><p>”But, you all know that there’s only one answer to this question. Anyone want to be bold and attempt to answer? And, just to clarify, no, it isn’t to do with the media but good try Thomas.”</p><p>Giggles emitted from the students as Thomas blushed into his arm. As students gradually began to lift their arms to answer, your mind drifted away as you stated out of the large glass pane windows. You swore that you’d seen a green light flash a second ago but, if it had, it’d left no trace.</p><p>After your eyes lingered a moment more, you turned back to the board to see the teacher was still listening to the student’s various answers. When you realised that no one has seemed to get the whole point of the question, you decided to lift your own arm.</p><p>As he scanned the room, Monsieur DuPont’s eyes caught yours and his smile widened. “Yes, what about you in the middle? What do you think the answer to this seemingly impossible question is?”</p><p>“It’s the fact that they all involve human subjects and therefore, the only possible answer to what they have in common is, the whole point of this lesson, figure drawing.” DuPont gave an inquisitive grin at you before turning back to the class of students who were all frustrated by themselves for overthinking the answer.</p><p>”Exactly, well done. What’s your name, mademoiselle?”</p><p>You gave your name with a small smile at the praise and he nodded, clicking another button to switch the slide to the main subject of the lesson.</p><p>———</p><p>The figure drawing class had been a breeze after that beginning introduction. You went on to analyse a couple of the pieces of artwork that had been used for the first slide and you were glad that you’d already become acquaintances with two students from the class.</p><p>After you got through the rest of your lessons, lunchtime has arrived and you began to make your way to the cafeteria, Marinette’s map being your only guidance.</p><p>Lucky for you, you happened to be nearby when you left your calculus class so all it required was a short walk across the campus.</p><p>Once you entered the hall, your nose was instantly filled with a plethora of smells. Walking down the line, you saw some of the many food options: onion soup, caesar salad, chicken alfredo, bouillabaisse, ratatouille, mille-feuille, éclairs and many more. </p><p>You gasped at how wide the selection of food was, eager to try some out for yourself. After picking a starter, main and dessert, your phone buzzed in your pocket. Once you took it out, you saw a text from none other than Marinette.</p><p>Mari: look to your left</p><p>Perplexed by her request, you went as follows, turning your body, before seeing both Marinette and her friends waving frantically at you, grins upon their bright faces.</p><p>You gave an inward chuckle as you approached their table. Once you’d sat down, you realised someone was missing from the group. “Hey, guys? Where’s Adrien? I thought he attended this university like you.”</p><p>“Oh, he does. Model boy just felt a bit ‘under the weather’ after yesterday and didn’t turn up. If you ask me a little thing like that shouldn’t stop you from coming to school but-“</p><p>Marinette slapped her hand to cover Alya’s mouth before giving an apologetic smile. “What Alya means is that he just feels a bit sick, that’s all.”</p><p>You furrowed your brows as everyone turned back to their own conversation, ignoring their weird actions. You just shrugged. <em>He seemed fine yesterday. Perhaps he just got food poisoning or something from his éclair at the fair</em>. It had looked a bit questionable. Speaking of food, yours was staring back at you intently, urging you to have a taste.</p><p>Willingly giving in, you took a spoonful of soup, thankful that the top layer had cooled, and basked in the warm scent. It wasn't long before you'd already moved onto the rest of your meal, hearing only snippets of your friend's conversation as your mind drifted away.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Lunch finished, you tagged along with Marinette, walking around campus. The sun was still shining, strong as ever, but the occasional breeze was determined to be a reminder of the incoming winter. To your luck, the only class you had left was history and then you'd be free to explore Paris, along with purchasing a gift for Marinette, whose birthday was close approaching. She seemed particularly excited about it this year, if her constant mentioning of it didn't hint at anything.</p><p>"I'm thinking of holding it at Alya's because ever since she moved out, she's been dying to host a party in her garden so that'll be sure to please her. I've already asked my parents if they could cater and they accepted, which wasn't a surprise. By the way, my parents have been pestering me to invite you to dinner one day. Seems I wasn't the only one to miss you. So, is there any time when you'd be free to come over? I'm sure if I don't get you over in the next few days, my parents are going to start turning up at your door to drag you over."</p><p>You let out a chuckle. You knew well how hospitable, no, aggressively hospitable, Tom and Sabine were and Marinette wasn't kidding when they'd insist on such things like dinner. "Well, I don't want to spring it on them unexpectedly so, would Wednesday work?"</p><p>"Of course! And, trust me, they've been planning ever since you arrived in Paris!"</p><p>Giggling at the notion, you both entered your history class that was already full with students who were chatting with the professor. He had an eccentric outfit, wearing clashing colours, but seemed friendly enough from what you could tell. You were about to take a seat before Marinette grabbed your arm. "Hey, where do you think you're going? Aren't you going to sit with us?"</p><p>You gave her a quizzical look as she gestured over to a far table near the teacher's desk. You could see two boys sat around, also conversing with the professor."Um, I guess so?"</p><p>"Perfect!" she pulled you over and cleared her throat. Both boys looked up, smiles all around. Marinette gestured to the first boy. "This here, is Thomas. He enjoys collecting rocks, against my better judgment and can be a bit of a pushover but aside from that, he's good company if you share his absurd interests." Thomas glared at her as she carried on, ignoring his expression, "And this is Marcel. He can jump to conclusions and be a bit of a dumbass but the doctors say that he'll be fine as long as he's surrounded by those smarter than him."</p><p>Now it was Marcel's turn to glare at Marinette and you could help but laugh at the scene before you. As you sat down, the boys looked away from her and greeted you with smiles.</p><p>Meanwhile, the professor, after checking the time, began his lesson, which was on the French Revolution, no less. One of your favourite subjects were history, having had regular nights of historical documentary watching with your father from a young age. You sighed in the memory of those days before directing your attention to the teacher's intriguing lecture.</p><p>Afterwards, you were set the task to discuss the controversial question as to whether the phrase 'let them eat cake' or <em>'q<em>u'ils mangent de la</em></em> brioche' had ever been uttered by Marie Antoinette. As you heard both Thomas and Marcel’s opinions and how they were so enthusiastic about the topic, you began to warm up to them. You were honestly quite surprised at Marinette's popularity, especially among her classmates. She seemed to know everyone and everyone knew her. Back in école, she wouldn't dare speak up and the only proper friend she had was you so how her confidence grew, you were none the wiser. <em>But it suits her</em>.</p><p>———</p><p>Your stomach grumbled as you waited in line, the scent of fresh strawberries and Nutella tempting your taste buds. As the day weighed on you, you couldn’t bring yourself to bake anything (along with the fact that you hadn’t gone proper grocery shopping yet). Therefore, you resided to the nearest <em>crêperie </em>for a snack on your way home.</p><p>Once it was your turn, you gave the woman at the stall a smile before ordering. As she poured the mixture onto a large rounded pan, you were mesmerised by the agility and perfection with which she cooked the <em>crêpe</em>, as though it was an art.</p><p>She folded in the ingredients before slipping it into a carton case to give to you. Handing her a couple of euros, you took the <em>crêpe</em> from her, taking care to not drop your delectable treat. “<em>Merci beaucoup madame!</em>”</p><p>As you drifted away from the stall, giving way for the rest of the Parisians who were queuing up, and bit into the <em>crêpe</em>. Your face lit up as the flavours danced in your mouth. Savouring the delicious warmth, you made your way to a store to browse a gift for Marinette, having satisfied both your hunger and coldness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’ve finally finished this chapter! It took longer than I expected but at least I can start the next one. Btw, if you couldn’t tell, I was really hungry while writing this, the constant mention of food being the result of this. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Green Fluorescent Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really have to get more creative with my chapter titles or else I will run out of options by the tenth chapter XD Anyway, this, like chapter three, is sort of a continuation of chapter four but I can’t bring myself to put it into parts. Yet.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Books, papers, pens and files all surrounded your curled up body as you typed another sentence into your laptop. After arriving home, a check of your planner confirmed that relaxation wasn’t a luxury that you were going to be able to afford tonight.</p><p>University had its perks but every silver lining has its cloud, the university’s being the immense amount of homework and projects. You had no idea how you were going to get all this done with time to spare but it was better to ignore the uncertainties and just get on with the work.</p><p>Earlier, your trip to the stores was virtually useless. Nothing you found was worth sending as a gift and you eventually gave up. Maybe you could make her something? You didn’t know yet but you crossed your fingers that you’d think of something.</p><p>For now, all that was on your mind were your projects. One of which was for you figure drawing class. The task involved adapting an already existing piece of art by changing the character(s) within the painting and creating your own piece.</p><p>You couldn’t find suitable paintings, let alone come up with a character to replace them with. Tapping your fingers on the floor so we’re sitting on, you scrolled through paintings from <em>Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin</em>, one of the artists you had analysed in class.</p><p>The beauty of his still images made you gasp. The details and intricacies of the people within the paintings were perfect, painfully reminding you of the amateur quality of your own work.</p><p>Sighing, you clicked your trackpad and enlarged one of the images. You could do this one as the scene wasn’t too difficult to render and you thought you could give an attempt at the perspective too. All that was left was to figure out what to replace the people with.</p><p>As you began to consider potential ideas, a flash of green caught your eye. Your position on the floor of your living room gave you a clear view of the adjacent balcony and you could have sworn you’d seen something.</p><p>Cautiously getting up, you lifted a stool to hold in front of yourself. It wouldn’t be of much use but at least it was something. Hesitantly, you approached the door, turning the handle. As the hatch released and the door swung open, the bitter air hit your body, making you hiss in the cold. You’d have to be quick.</p><p>Since it was dark by now and the only thing illuminating the streets were the dim street lamps and faint moonlight, you were as good as blind by the lack of light. Squinting along your balcony, you heard two steps, coming from ahead.</p><p>Pushing the stool further away, you stated into the shadows. You were sure there was someone there, even if they hadn’t showed themselves yet. Your mind contemplated their intentions, along with method of arrival. Could they be a murderer? Or perhaps a thief? A shiver tickled your spine at the thought.</p><p>All of a sudden, two green eyes stared back at you from the shadows. Two green fluorescent eyes. You blinked a couple of times as the eyes stared back into yours. The slitted irises almost resembled that of a cat’s, but surely that didn’t make any sense. Unless...</p><p>But your thought was interrupted as the eyes neared and the owner was finally visible by the warm lights emanating from inside. Still clutching the stool, you let out a choke at the man’s smirk.</p><p>The new light source had given way to his figure, cladded in black leather and accompanied by a belt and pair of cat ears. His grin didn’t waver as he grabbed the stool from your hands and placed it inside.</p><p>Still gawping, you watched him retreat back outside and give a bow. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, <em>ma chérie</em>.”</p><p>His eyes glinted as he looked up at you intently. Shutting your jaw, you swallowed hard, as if that would block the butterflies that flew inside you. “How do you know where I live? Are you stalking me or something? What are you doing here?”</p><p>”Woah, slow your roll for a bit. That’s a lot of questions, my lady, though I’ll be happy to answer them, though, preferably inside. You aren’t exactly in winter gear and the weather isn’t showing signs of improving.” He gestured to your scarce clothing. You had to admit, he was right.</p><p>Letting out a deep sigh, you stepped to the side of the door, welcoming him in your apartment. As you closed the door behind both of you, the goosebumps on your arms disappeared but you couldn’t help the sense of dread. That this was a mistake. He have been a superhero but he was still a stranger.</p><p>Ad he entered your living room, he stood still where he was. You were confused by his awkward stance, considering the confident demeanour he projected earlier.</p><p>”So, now that you aren’t in danger of catching a cold, I’ll let you in on who I am.” You muttered a ‘finally’ from under your breath. “Geez, if I had known you were so curious, I would’ve sent you my business card by now.”</p><p>You let out a sarcastic laugh as he bared his teeth in a toothy grin. “First of all, to clarify, I am definitely, without a doubt, not a stalker. I don’t care what you may think but I would never have such ulterior intentions, rest assured. Secondly, I couldn’t help but notice that there was a damsel in distress in need of my aid.”</p><p>He brushed his lips against your knuckles before you realised your hand was in his. You shivered at the sensation, pulling your hand to clutch it protectively with the other. “I’m perfectly fine without the help of a boy from a costume party, thank you very much.”</p><p>”I am appalled that you’d think that way about me, <em>ma chérie</em>. Don’t you know who I am?” He pouted as you rolled your eyes.</p><p>”You may be a superhero, Chat Noir, but that doesn’t excuse you from acting shifty.” He stepped closer, still pouting.</p><p>”Well, <em>chérie</em>, I think you need to learn to be a bit less judgmental.” You crossed your arms as he walked around the mess you’d made on your floor.</p><p>As he circled the pile, he stopped to peer at your laptop screen. Lifting an eyebrow, he turned back to you as you placed your hands on your hips. Breaking the silence, he grinned at you. “<em>Ma chérie</em>, I didn’t know that you were an artist.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes at his words. “I’m not an artist. If anything, I find history more interesting. My talent for art is minute in comparison. Doesn’t stop me from receiving homework though.”</p><p>He gave you an indecipherable expression. “Can I sit on the couch?” You raised an eyebrow. You hadn’t taken him for the type to follow common courtesy, especially considering his shameless flirting.</p><p>”Um, yeah. Sure.” He smiled as he took to the sofa, his tail lying across the length of the seat. His eyes did a sweep of the room before focussing back on you. “This apartment sure is nice, <em>chérie</em>.”</p><p>You smiled inwardly that he’d approved of your taste. Wait. Why would that make you happy? “Thanks, the view is beautiful considering it wasn’t too expensive.”</p><p>Chat opened his mouth but quickly shut it, as if he’d changed his mind. He instead. You decided to ignore it as something else picked at your mind. “Hey, Chat? Is there a reason why you’re here? I mean, you just swooped in here uninvited. Do you make it a habit of arriving at the homes of random Parisians for the sake of company?”</p><p>As if pondering, Chat Noir tapped his chin, a wistful look in his eyes. “Hmmm, no. I don’t disturb the citizens of Paris for my own company. Everything I do has a reason behind it.”</p><p>You furrowed your brow. He hadn’t answered your question. “Well then, why are you here? I’ve only been here for four days and am probably one of the most unremarkable people to ever set foot in Paris. I wouldn’t exactly be the ideal person for information.”</p><p>To your annoyance, Chat looked away, just giving a hum in response. You decided to question him later, though, because you didn’t have the energy.</p><p>A few minutes of silence passed between you two and neither of you dared to break it. Biting your lip, you sat down on your spot on the floor, turning back to your laptop. “So, how was your day?”</p><p>At the words, Chat’s eyes pricked up and he turned to you, a halfhearted smirk on his lips. “Well, <em>chérie</em>, there’s a lot I can’t tell you, you know. We superheroes have secret identities at stake.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes before rephrasing your question. “I meant, was your day good?” His grin faltered for a split second before he plastered a practised smile.</p><p>“It was purrfect now that I’m with you. What about yours? How was your first day at university?” As you thought of a suitable reply, you noticed his muscles tending involuntarily as he shifted on the couch. <em>Is he alright? Something must have happened, right?</em> You decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now as your mind latched onto his words. Since when did he use puns?</p><p>”It was pretty good. I had a couple of friends to show me around so I didn’t lose myself along the way which I’m grateful for.” You looked at Chat who was looking intently towards you, listening carefully to your words.</p><p>”So, I take it you had a nice first day?”</p><p>You nodded before something else popped into your mind, “There was one thing though. My friend, Adrien. He wasn’t at school and I was sort of worried about him. I would check on him but I don’t have a method of contacting him.” Your last words with tinged with sadness as you realised that you weren’t good enough friends to have each other as contacts. “Wait, Chat? Could I ask you for a favour?”</p><p>At the call of his name, Chat Noir perked up. “Of course, <em>chérie</em>.”</p><p>“Could you possibly check up on Adrien for me? I mean, it seem like you can easily find people in this city so I’d really appreciate it.” As he but his lip, you gave him a pair of puppy dog eyes. <em>He deserves a bit of his own medicine</em>.</p><p>Chat avoided eye contact and you knew that your look had an effect on him. Three minutes later and he gave a submissive nod. “Ok, ok, I’ll check up on him but I’m sure he’s fine... Wait, why are you so curious <em>chérie</em>? Is this Adrien Agreste important to you?” His lips had curved into a smile as you felt blood rush to your cheeks. Why were you so curious? It wasn’t as though you were too close of friends and you’d only known him for two days. Yet, the urge to make sure he was ok overpowered any logic and reasoning.</p><p>”I just care about my friends, that’s all.” You wanted to end the conversation before Chat got any ideas to further embarrass you. You glanced over at the digital clock on the sidebar of your laptop and then at Chat Noir who was lost in thought. “It’s pretty late, you should probably get going.”</p><p>He gave a melancholic look before nodding. “You’re right, <em>ma chérie</em>. I’m sure you have a long day of classes tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late.”</p><p>”Why would you care about a thing like that? You barely know me.”</p><p>He shrugged nonchalantly before heading towards your balcony. “You just seem like the type of person who would spend as long as possible on an assignment, forgetting to rest. And anyway, it’s my duty to make sure all Parisians get a good nights sleep which includes you.”</p><p>You let out a sigh as he unlocked the door and walked out into the night. He got poised to jump off before you placed a tentative hand to his shoulder. His eyes widened as he turned to look at you. “Thank you for coming to meet me Chat. It was very kind of you.” You gave him a genuine smile as you saw a tinge of red partially hidden by his mask.</p><p>”You’re welcome, <em>chérie</em>. It was my pleasure.” Placing a kiss on your knuckles, he gave a salute before taking off, bounding down the roofs of the Parisian apartments. You held your hand in the other before the cool breeze waking your senses and you entered your  apartment, still in a daze.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Arghhh, writers block is the worst. Sorry for taking a while with this and how forced this chapter was. I’ll probably end up editing it but for now, hopefully it was of some enjoyment to you.</p>
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